If you would have asked me when I was in high school what I saw myself doing after college, I probably would have given one of three answers: singing, writing, or I have no clue. Never in a million years would I have guessed that in April of 2015, I would be in the process of preparing to go on something like the World Race.
Similarly, back in November when I got accepted to go on the World Race, I thought I had a plan, an understanding with God of exactly what the next step in my life was to be. While I wasn’t exactly wrong, I wasn’t exactly right either. Never assume that you’ve figured God out. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Before I explain God’s newest adaptation of my life itinerary, I want to tell you two stories.
–The Time I Presumed God’s Plan–
During my sophomore year at Cedarville, I was confident that God laid it on my heart to be an RA. So, excitedly, I applied and got an interview. I was pretty far into the process when I found out I would not be permitted to be an RA and continue in my current ministry. I was flabbergasted, and, quite honestly, devastated. I remember tears, prayers of confusion, and the pain of realizing that my understanding of God’s will was somehow skewed. Finally, after agonizing prayers and disoriented journal entries, my dreams of being an RA slipped between my fingers, and I found myself gaping at the wreckage of my broken heart. I remember asking God, Why did you make me so excited to be an RA, only to snatch this opportunity from me? I decided to trust God, despite my weary bafflement.
Fast-forward two years. As I finish out my last month of college, one of the highlights of my senior year has been serving as an RA. I didn’t even apply last year, and when I realized I would have liked to, it was too late. But through God’s astounding sovereignty, He opened up a door for me, I walked through it, and I now see His faithfulness in the timing of doing this job. I cannot lay claim to obtaining this position; God gets the credit. Furthermore, by laying it on my heart as a sophomore to be an RA, God revealed to me that I have a passion for women’s ministry. His timing was so much better than my own.
–The Time I Replaced God’s Plan With My Own– 
Last year, I decided it was high time I went on a mission trip. Whatever the underlying motivation, I signed up to go to Haiti in May, confident that I would be on a plane to the most impoverished country in the Western Hemisphere in a few months. I just knew that, after desiring to go on a mission trip for 6 or 7 years, God would bless my obedience in signing up to go. One day, I overheard a friend saying she had been accepted as part of the team going to Haiti. I remember my heart rate increasing, the pit of my stomach clenching. I smiled through my dread and found out that the team was already completely picked. I hadn’t even gotten an interview. I stumbled to a private corner and unleashed a torrent of angry, utterly perplexed tears. Why are you withholding this from me, God? Can’t you see that I just want to serve you? For several weeks, I wrestled with God. I just could not make sense of it. But finally, I let it go, and again, began trusting God’s timing. Just in case, I sent an email to the team leader, indicating that if a spot ever opened up, I would be interested. I moved on, looking for independent mission trip opportunities.
The week before Thanksgiving break, I got an email. A spot had opened up. Would I like to interview? I remember shaking my head in wonderment, rolling my eyes at how emotional I had been the past month. God, you knew all along that I would be going. I knew in that moment that God was trying to teach me something. He could have had me get accepted from the beginning. But through that month, I learned to trust God even more. Once again, God gets all of the credit for me being placed on the team.
–The Time I Replaced My Plan With God’s–
So, why all the reminiscing, Ashley? I have some news.
After a ton of prayer, counsel, and wisdom-seeking, I have decided that I need to switch my launch date from September 2015 to January 2016. A lot of significant factors have played into this,* and I truly believe this is the wisest decision for me. If you would like to hear more about this, please contact me and I’d be happy to expound. It came down to this: either I proceed according to my plan, or follow the path of wisdom to God’s plan.
I will now be ministering in Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia and Argentina!!
Praise God for His infinitely high wisdom and specifically crafted plan for our lives.
*I want to make a disclaimer that fundraising is not one of the reasons that I am moving my launch date. I am fully confident that God is going to provide the finances that I need in order to obey His call on my life. With that being said, I still have a long way to go! If you would like to partner with me financially, just hit the “Support Me” button on my blog! Also, I have an EP coming out soon to help raise money. Be on the lookout for that!
